Process of refining and purifying hydrocarbon oils.



PATENTED JULY`17, 1906.

sHEETsfsHLBTi D. T. DAY.

APPLIUATION FILED DEO.19. 1905.

Nb. 826fo8'9.

PROCESS 0F RBFINING AND PURIFYING HYDROGARBON OILS.

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M PATENTED JULY 1'7, 1906. D. 'I'. DAY. PROCESS 0F REEBHG AND PURIPYING HYDROGARBON OILS. l

APPEIHTIOX FILED DEO. 19. 1905.

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" ,lV/@Essa j NVA/10K UNITED STATESy PATENT OFFICE; DAVID-T. DAY-.oFrWAsHiNGToN, DISTRICT on COLUMBIA. P'RQCESS o FREFlNlNG ANDPURIFYING {HYDRocAnBoN OILS.

No. saaosol Specification of-Letters Patent. Application filed DecemheriIQ, 1.905.*y Serial No. 292,445.

Patented July 17,'19oe.

drocarbon Oils, of which the following is a ',specication.

This invention relates toa method of puri- Vhydrocarbon oils, and more particularly to a method'of treating distillate oils which are of bad odor and deiicient in hydrogen. y v

The object of my invention is to provide for re and "deodorizin ,hydrocarbon oils and mingle or combine t erewith a sufflcient percentage ofhydrogen to convert the vapor, suc as ethy :oils into yafmixture of the.marsh-gas series of hydrocarbons. l p In the distillation of petroleum-oils as now generally carried on more or less destructive distillation or cracking .of theheavy oil is'. effected, by which oils relatively poor in hydro en .are obtained and which are characterized by an objectionable odor, also b a tendency to darken in color. the wiole t is similarly poor in hydrogen and frequently contain asphaltum and other objectionable compounds. It is charactertic of the distillates above mentiond that they can take'upadditional products or elements, such as sulfurie-acid residues, chlorin, and other elements. v

My invention*y consists in so treating these oils with h drogen gas or hydrocarbon gas or ene 'and its homologues, or gasolene-vapors under special conditions, hereinafter described, that the disagreeable odor is entire'l or 'in ai great part removed and that the p urning qualities Aof the'oil in' l lamps is greatly improved. To eiect this result, the oil, such as a distillate produced by high heatl and the cracking ."o eration or crude oil, is brought, together vwit `hydrogen or an absorbable h drocarbonas or vapor', in the presenceo a porous a sorptive lsubstance, such as palladium-black or platinum sponge, porous zinc-dust, fuller-s earth, and other clays. By this means the desiredpurification and deodorization- -is effected, probably by the direct raddition to or combination ofy hydrogen or of hydrocarbon gas or vapor with the oil,'thus wholly or sufliciently in part replacing the lacking hydrogen and converting the oil into a mixture of `tional view of a stil ounceI for the marsh-gas series of hydrocarbons.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents in elevation with parts invsection one form of apparatus adapted for carrying out my process. Fig.. 2 represents a secand attachments in which my invention may be practiced.

The various vessels or tanks are preferablymade of metal and may be of cast-brass tinned or coated with other metal, The oil reservoir or tank A may be of any desired capacityand is provided with an oil-inlet pipe a, having a valve a', and with-an outlet-pipe a, having a valve a", and connectingwith the treating or hydrogenating chamber B. This chamber is made strong and adapted to withstand a high internal ressure and is provided at oiie -side or en with arlillinfropening into which is fitted a screw-plug To anot er sidev or end is appliedfa gas-cock b', having a screw-threaded endfor attachinga gas or vapor sugiply pipe. `Another short pipe connection is provided'lfor at'- taching a pressure-gage, and such pipe has a lateral cock b" for connecting an air-pum p or exhaust device. In the bottom of chainv ing chamber -ortank D. To the bottom ol tank D is secured a discharge-piped, having a valve e. g Y

In carrying out the process the porous substance may be saturated with hydrogen or light hydrocarbon vapor or hydrocarbon gas under pressure, andthe oil to be p uried and deodorized may be introduce under similar pressure into the same flask or tank cdntaining the porous substance.V The im'- provement in the quality andodor of the oil will be quickly perceptible. 4

The valve af being closed `and valve a open, the desired quantit of distillate oil-to be deodorized and purine' is supplied to tank 'A and v'then valve a/is closed; The screwplug b is .removedand the desired quantity of orous absorptive substance,` preferably pal adium-black or platinum sponge, is introduced through-opening f into chamber B,- the quantity being approximately in proportion to the quantity of oil to be purified. The

porous substance may be placed on a wirecloth screen or on layers of textile fabric. The palladium-black or platinum sponge may be used in the'proporltion of `,one-half each gallon ofy oil to be treated.

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rlhe chamber B having been charged With porous material, the screw-plug b is'screwed into openingf, tightly closing the same. The air in chamber B is now preferably exhausted' through cock 5 or it may be replaced by carbonio-acid or other non-combustiblev gas admitted through cock b or b". gas or ethylene or other hydrogen-carrying gas or vapor is now introduced under pressure through cock b Auntil the porous material is saturated, as shown by cessation of heat of absorption or by the greatly-increased pressure indicated by a gage. The pressure of hydrogen may vary from normal to one hundred and fty pounds per square inch or more. A practical pressureis fifty pounds to the square inch. The quantity of hydrogen or hydrogen-carrying gas or vapor to be supplied increases as the pressure, -inasmuch as the volume Which may be absorbed by a given quantity of palladiumblack or platinum sponge or other porous absorptive material is practically constant.

The porous substance having been saturated with hydrogen, the valve c" is partly opened, (valve a being closed,) permitting hydrogen to pass upinto tank A till an equilibrium is established and then' permitting oil to flow slowly from tank A into u v chamber B in contact with the hydro en-saturated porous material therein. alve c may noW be opened, permitting the oil to filter through the porous substance, thereby becoming hydrogenated and deodorized. The purified oil is collectedin tank D and may be drawn off as desired by opening valve e.

Saturation or impregnation of the palladium-black or platinum sponge with hydrogen may be maintained by pumping in i hydrogencarrying gas or vapor through cock b into chamber B. The gas may also be supplied under the' pressure of generation or by pressure produced in any desired manner.

The palladium-black or platinum sponge is not consumed, and its ilse and action are continuous so long as it may be desired to conduct the process.

ln case the porous absorptive substance becomes clogged with gummy or other residual matter vsuchmaterial may be removed from the treating chamber or vessel and then subjected to a sucient heat with excess of air to burn out the gum or other foreign matter.

When fullers7 earth ory other porous absoptive substance is used, it should be in much larger proportions than palladiumblack .or patinum sponge, such as ten times the quantity of either of them. Otherwise the mode of procedure is substantially the same as above described.

It is true that the treatment takes place with or without pressure, but more econom- Hydrogen ically and more rapidly under high pressure,

andthe temporary elevation of temperature Lthe porous absorptive substance in a still or other vessel to Whichheat may be applied and a crude oil or a distillate may be supplied to the still or vessel and subjected to distillation. During the distilling operation hydrogen gas or,l hydrocarbon vapors may be passed through the body of oil andporous substance. An ordinary cylindrical still H is provided with a lid g, covering a hand-hole opening and the usual dome g. At ornear the bottom of the still is arranged a supplypipe h, having a perforated portion h for introducing small streams of hydrogen-carrying gas or vapor. Above this perforated pipe is supported a Wire-cloth or perforated-plate partition 'c, upon Whichis placed a layer of porous absorptive materialm. The porous absorpltlive materialh'ng having been placed upon t e partition, y rogen-carrying gas or vapor is admitted through the perforated pipe h till the porous material takes up one thousand volumesor more of the gas or vapor. The charge of oil is now placed in the still and subjected to distillation, while at the same time streams of hydrogen-carrying gas or vapor are passed from the pipe h through the body ofoil'and the porous absorptive material.

It is not necessary to the success of this invention that all of the petroleum or other hydrocarbon liquid which is subjected to the deodorizing operation becomes saturated With hydrogen; but the beneficial eii'ects Will be apparent at once and While only a part of the dydroc'arbonunder treatment has been saturated with hydrogen or light'hydrocarbon gas or vapor.

The hydrogen-carrying gas used 'in my process may be obtained in any Well-known manner and may be a mixture of hydrogen and carbonio oXid and the hydrocarbon .vapor or gas (ethylene) may be obtained in any Well-known manner. The gas or vapor may be previously heated before being used as` above described.

I have found that the best procedure is to let the palladium-black .take up the hydrogen (one thousand volumes or more at ordinary -pressure and vastly more under greater pressures) and then filter the oil through the palladium-black thus charged With hydroen and subsequently pump in hydrogen to reep up the char e in the black.

Having descri ed my invention, what I. claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The process of treating .hydrocarbon oils Which consists in subjectin them to the action of added hydrogen or a sorbable hy- IOC IIS

drocarbons in the presence of porous absorptive substances, capable of absorbing hydrogen or a hydrogen-carrying gas or vapor.

2. The process of treating hydrocarbon oils which consists in subjectin them to the action of added' hydrogen or a sorbable hy-` drocarbon, under pressure, in the presence of porous absorptive substances, capable of absorbing hydrogen or a hydrogen-carrying gas or vapor. V

3. The process of purifying and deodorizing hidrocarbon oils which consists in passstances, charged or saturatedfwith absorbable hydrogen-carrying gas or va or.

l4. The process of purifying an deodorizing hydrocarbon oils which consists'v in subjecting them vto the action of palladiumem through absorptive 1 porous sub- E presence of two Witnesses.

the supply of such gas orvapor in 'contact' with t e porous absorptive mat'erial during the iltering operatio In testimony whereof I aix my signature y DAVID T. DAY. Witnesses: v

FREDERICK W.'HOR'roN, BELLE HILL. 

